Introduction

The old world has been buried by a thick sea of fog. All records and survivors of the old world have long since passed. Civilisation has been forced to rebuild upon the highest mountains, now known as the Caligos Archipelago. 

Religious strife and scarce resources have led to high tensions and conflict between the five nations currently existing on the Caligos Archipelago. Notably, the Caligos Imperium is currently at war with both Gaulsberg and Sudenberg.

Thematically, Caligos takes a lot of inspiration from imperial Germany, victorian/stuart Britain, the Holy Roman Empire and colonial Europe/America as well as including steampunk, western and pirate themes.

The Great Fog Sea

No one can say for sure what caused the fog to descend upon the old world. Followers of the Iuris legion enforce the belief that it was sent by the legion as a punishment for the sins of mortals. Others say it is the result of dark magic or industrial pollution.

It is also unclear if the fog is acidic, toxic, magic or some combination of all three. All attempts to analyse, explore or dispel the fog have resulted in equipment and people being destroyed and swallowed by the fog.

Technology

Mortalkind has learned the secrets of several advanced technologies, such as airships, steam power, hydraulics, clockwork and gunpowder. These have all been used to improve the lives of people and, more commonly, fatten the pockets of the elite. Much of this technology is still very expensive however, many commoners do not have access to their own airships, firearms or steam engines and must rely on the rich.

Traditional armour and weapons, like swords, spears and crossbows, are still very common for individuals as they can’t acquire firearms, magic items or cannons due to cost or local weapon laws. Rich citizens or high ranking officers sometimes carry firearms for self-defense. Most low ranked soldiers do not carry firearms, but do often man guns on airships or battlements.

Since the mountain peaks are extremely cold, many settlements are designed to reuse heat from forges and factories throughout the settlement, sometimes via vast underground pipe networks, to keep them at comfortable temperatures. Likewise many larger airships feature heating systems to keep passengers warm.

Nearly all farming is done indoors or on rooftops due to the lack of unfrozen, fertile land. Many factories employ hydroponics or mechanised irrigation, though some still prefer more traditional agricultural practices, even with the limited space.

Airships are a critical part of the infrastructure of the cities. Airships work through various magical and nonmagical means but the most common involve balloons. These balloons are filled with lightweight buoyant gasses, such that the entire craft is lighter than air. Ballasts, sails and engine-driven propellers are often used to move the vessel. Other ships might use other means to achieve lift and motion, such as magical devices to manipulate position, weight, gravity or create gusts of proppeling wind. Each method has its own costs and limitations. Magical means tend to be more robust, especially attacks but also more expensive and harder to repair with specialist arcane engineers.

Other forms of air transport exist, but most are magical or personal. Some inventors are attempting to create nonmagical, heavier-than-air aircraft, but few designs rival that of airships curently.

Transport

While routes between settlements do exist over land, they require trudging through dense snow, over rocky terrain and past monsters. It is almost always faster, easier and safer to fly via airships. Ariships range from tiny skiffs, for transporting small numbers of people between over short distances, to massive fleets of warships or luxury cruisers capable of carrying hundreds of people for weeks long journeys over the fog sea. Alongside government and privately-owned vessels, there are a number of transport companies willing to take people for a fee (See Other Factions for more info).

The Great Stone Rail is an underground train line between some of the larger cities of the Caligos Imperium. It’s primarily for transporting resources between the mines and quarries in each city. The darkness and smoke fumes in the tunnels make it extremely uncomfortable for people to use. Trains are usually operated by automatons or from specially sealed compartments.

The Wilderness

Being atop the highest mountains of the old world means the archipelago is extremely cold. Deep snow and rocky terrain make the wilderness a very miserable and dangerous place. While not much can survive the harsh colds, those creatures that can are all the more dangerous. Rumours speak of yetis, bears, giants and even terrifying monsters leftover from the old world.

Urban and Fog Sea are most common terrain types players will be dealing with. Other possible types in the material plane include: Artic, Forest, Mountain and Underdark. You can choose other types for rangers, land druids etc. but is not recommended.

Religion

Religion is a divisive topic all across the archipelago (See Pantheons and Nations).